New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate under the published schedule, which required them to play their group-stage matches in India.
Bangladesh had requested moving their fixtures from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns following the release of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the ICC’s decision brings an end to weeks of uncertainty after the BCB repeatedly pressed for a venue change and even suggested swapping groups with Ireland.
In a statement, the ICC said independent assessments found no credible threat to the team’s safety. With the tournament set to begin on February 7, the governing body said it was not feasible to amend Bangladesh’s fixtures at such short notice.
ICC officials, including chairman Jay Shah, met in Dubai on Friday before formally deciding on Saturday to replace Bangladesh with Scotland.
“The decision follows an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches in India,” the ICC said.
“Over more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner, including video conferences and in-person meetings. The ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned independent security assessments, and shared detailed operational and security plans covering federal and state arrangements, along with enhanced security protocols for the event.”
“These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board. Our assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials, or supporters in India,” the ICC added.
After careful consideration of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published schedule. Following a Wednesday deadline, the BCB was given 24 hours to confirm whether its team would participate in India as scheduled. As no confirmation was received, the ICC proceeded according to its governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team.
Scotland will now take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. Scotland enters the tournament as the next-highest ranked T20I team that had originally missed out, having finished in fourth place in the qualification process.
Currently ranked 14th in T20Is, Scotland is ahead of Namibia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy. They will begin their campaign against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on February 7.
Interestingly, Scotland previously participated in the 2009 T20 World Cup in England after Zimbabwe withdrew due to political reasons.
With IANS inputs